A sport by the turn of the world

Photo courtesy Jean-Paul Remacle
Canada won without much resistance their first game against Singapore, and Spain at the world Cup played in Japan. They made their way up to the final, where they won in extremis against Japan.

Prisca Benoit

Friday, 22 December 2017 18:32

UPDATE
Friday, 22 December 2017 18:32

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First, a sport created in Quebec to make the children move, the kin-ball has gained ground around the world, so much so that the canadian athletes were flown to Japan this autumn for the world Cup.

As almost every year, the winners were the two canadian teams, composed exclusively of players in québec.

“The founder of the kin-ball had the idea of creating the sport in a rock show, says, amused, the president of the international Federation of kin-ball Pierre-Julien Hamel. He saw how the audience loved the big balloons of the crowd and he said that he could use to make it a sport. “

World cup

The sport ball of 1.22 m has come a long way since this idea of 1986. Twelve countries, including France, Japan, Denmark and Korea, have met at the last world Cup, from 30 October to 5 November, but today, there are 16 federations of kin-ball on the planet.

Photo courtesy Jean-Paul Remacle

Even if their matches preliminary to the world Cup have been more tight, the Canadians have still managed to get through to the final, where they faced their biggest competitors, the Japanese.

Moreover, a quarantine of countries practice this sport, according to Pierre-Julien Hamel.

“I cannot even count the number of teachers that I have encountered, probably close to 15 000,” he says. I’ve done 37 countries to speak about kin-ball. “

The rules of the game are quite simple, according to Mr. Hamel. Three teams compete at the same time on the field. The team in possession of the ball must name one other team who must catch the ball. The players arrested are able to catch the ball with any part of the body. If he falls, the two opposing teams make a point, otherwise the game continues.

First places

The women’s national team, which has never known defeat in the world Cup, has failed to lose this time. The top 3 in the world has faced for the last part, with Canada, Japan and France.

“We can say that we met our man, lance the director-general of the kin-ball Canada, Marc-André Laliberté, also an assistant coach of the women’s team. Japan has completely changed the style of game to try to beat us, and it was almost walking. “

As for the men, they have had a final dream by facing Japan and the Czech Republic.

“Japan was the team to beat, exclaimed he. The only time that Canada has finished second, it was against them at the world Cup of 2015. “

But the prejudices against the kin-ball persist, laments Mr. Laliberté. Even today, many consider the sport as a simple game of elementary school.

“People change their minds when I show them the videos of our teams in the world Cup “, laughs the director.